Anyone´s Daughter-Adonis (1979)

Anyone's Daughter is an excellent German band that was still active well into the 21st century. Founded in 1972 in Stuttgart, their early period was defined by the progressive sounds of the 1970s, with complex music, intricate arrangements featuring melodic guitars, powerful drums, and sophisticated bass lines. Their lineup consisted of bassist and vocalist Harald Bareth, guitarist Uwe Karpa, keyboardist Matthias Ulmer, and drummer Kono Konopick. In 1979, they released their first album, "Adonis", on the German progressive label Brain. On it, the band showcased a melancholic progressive rock sound similar to that of the British band Camel. The four-part suite "Adonis" features a delightful symphonic style with soaring guitar solos, rich keyboard textures, and intricate arrangements. The rest of the album is a perfect combination of Moog solos and guitars, such as "The Blue House" or the sophisticated and fast-paced "Anyone Daughter's". During the following years, they continued to release very interesting works such as "Piktors Verwandlungen" (1981), "In Blau" (1982), and "Neue Sterne" (1983).

Kiss-Alive II (1977)

Two years after Kiss's first double live album, "Alive II" arrived, a natural sequel to the iconic original. "Alive II" was recorded during the "Love Gun World Tour" in August and September of 1977 in Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo. The setlist for this live album draws from the band's three most recent albums: "Destroyer", "Rock and Roll Over", and "Love Gun". As with the previous live album, this one was remixed and produced by Eddie Kramer at Electric Lady Studios in New York. However, only three sides of this double album feature live recordings, while the fourth side is dedicated to five previously unreleased songs, including the noteworthy "Rocket Ride" and Dave Clarke's original version of "Any Way You Want It". But it's the live repertoire that elevates this superb live album. Hit hard rock and heavy metal songs like "Detroit Rock City", "Love Gun", "Shock Me", "Calling Dr. Love", "Ladies Room", and "Beth", are part of a selection from this legendary double live album, although it falls somewhat short of its predecessor. A seventh-place finish on the US Billboard charts and over two million copies sold only served to increase the success and popularity of the flamboyant and famous American band.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer-Emerson, Lake & Palmer Box Set (1982)

This compilation box set, initially released only for the Spanish-speaking market, was a clever marketing move by Manticore Records, the label owned by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. It was intended to compensate for the international release two years prior, also titled "Emerson, Lake & Palmer". The key difference between the two lies in the fact that the first box set, released in early 1980 for the rest of the world, contains only tracks from their four most recent albums: one from their self-titled debut, two from their fifth album, "Works Vol. 1", one from their sixth album, "Works Vol. 2", and six from their seventh release, "Love Beach". Consequently, albums like "Tarkus", "Trilogy", "Brain Salad Surgery", and the live album "Pictures at an Exhibition" were incredibly absent. In contrast, this edition, distributed by the Spanish label Ariola, includes their first four original albums that is, all those not included in the previous version: "Emerson, Lake and Palmer" (1970), "Pictures at an Exhibition" (1971), "Tarkus" (1971), and "Trilogy" (1972). It quickly became a collector's item for the trio's most purist fans. With this box set (actually a collector's edition), Manticore Records sought to rectify the strange and incomplete previous compilation, which had disappointed fans and been a disastrous commercial move by the record company. This new release also completed another incomplete compilation released by the multinational Atlantic Records, titled "The Best Of EL&P", which had been released as a single album in late 1980.

East Of Eden-Snafu (1970)

East of Eden was a fascinating progressive rock band worthy of mention, boasting a long career spanning almost two decades. Formed in Bristol, UK in 1967, the lineup consisted of Dave Arbus (electric violin, flute, saxophone), Ron Caines (alto saxophone), Geoff Nicholson (guitar and vocals), Steve York (bass), and Dave Dufont (drums). In 1969, they signed with Decca Records, releasing their first albums, "Mercator Projected" (1969) and "Snafu" (1970). Both are excellent works, showcasing a powerful sound of electric violin, flute, and saxophone combined with Béla Bartók and other classical, Eastern, and even Gypsy melodies, all set against a hard rock foundation. "Snafu" continued the musical direction begun with their debut album, featuring a more solid sound that blended blues rock, psychedelic music, and fusion. Although labeled proto-prog like other contemporary bands, they showed less interest in sophistication and classicism, focusing instead on rougher, more complex sounds. This is evident in tracks like the catchy blues-rock "Have To Whack It Up", the exotic "Leaping Beauties For Rudy/Marcus Junior", the complex "Xhorkhom" and "Ramadhan", both with Arabic influences, and the jazz-blues "In The Snow For A Blow". The band continued releasing albums until 1978 when they disbanded, only to reunite in 1996.

Triode-On N´A Pas Fini D´Avoir Tout Vu (1971)

Triode was a French band about which very little information is available. Formed in the early 1970s, they managed to record only one album under the Futura Red label, which is now highly sought after by progressive rock fans. This sole album, released in 1971, is "On N'A Pas Fini D'Avoir Tout Vu", composed entirely of instrumental tracks and dominated by the excellent flute playing of Michel Edelin, with a style very close to Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull and indebted to the Canterbury sound. The flute interludes and the instrumental progressive elements lean more towards jazz with psychedelic guitar tones. It's a very rhythmic and versatile album where none of the tracks are filler, featuring lively instrumentations that demonstrate the full potential of a talented band with great musical ideas. Their version of The Beatles' "Come Together" is simply original and perfectly executed with a high-level psychedelic and progressive sound.